


Dancing Insomniac

by Beetlewhy



Category: Beetlejuice (1988), Beetlejuice - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Insomnia, Loneliness, Lydia needs a hug, Mild Language, a certain ghost will be happy to volunteer, mention of drug overdose
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:34:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26910718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beetlewhy/pseuds/Beetlewhy
Summary: Lydia's thoughts during another night of insomnia.
Relationships: Beetlejuice & Lydia Deetz
Comments: 8
Kudos: 15





	Dancing Insomniac

  
  


Insomnia once again plagued Lydia Deetz. Her thoughts of nothing didn’t allow her to sleep, but she didn’t want to stare at the ceiling tonight. She didn’t have the energy to be fiddling with her cameras and undeveloped photos either. Back in New York City, if she had an insomnia episode, she would walk around her family’s penthouse to make the time go by faster. Unfortunately, the creaky floorboards of the old Victorian farmhouse would disturb the rest of the household. The only time the other occupants, her ‘family’, acknowledged her was to only tell her she was being a nuisance. Right now she didn’t care if she was going to wake up the entire town, she needed to move and not stare into the abyss. Sighing and getting up from her bed, Lydia grabbed her spider web shawl from her dresser and wrapped it around herself. The black night dress that she was fond of kept her warm as the night chill had set in the house. Not aware the chill came from a spectre hovering over her.

Making her way out of her bedroom, she passed her stepmothers. The door was wide open. Revealing Delia was passed out once again from her sleeping pills. She forgot to take off her makeup and ended up smudging her expensive pillows again. Still, Delia looked a lot better than when mother passed out shit faced drunk. When her mom wanted to relax, she would take a prescription pill of some kind and two martini drinks or more. Making a fool of herself, not caring if her little girl witnessed her stumbling and doing damage to their possessions. Not caring if her little girl finds her bending over a toilet and regurgitating the drinks. Not caring if her little girl had to call an ambulance. Crying as mommy was foaming at the mouth and eyes white. 

Lydia considered taking something to help her sleep but she never wanted to become dependent on those things. She didn’t want to end up like both her mother and stepmother. Becoming addicted just to try to function. The occasional weed she took staved off her anxiety for only a bit, but it still wasn’t enough to make her forget her loneliness. Passing her father’s study, she heard paper rustling from inside. She overheard him talking of making plans to expand the town’s tourism. But she knew it was to try to buy the town’s remaining land and use it for his own greedy purposes. 

Sometimes she hated her family.

As Lydia exited the house, closing the door quietly, she took her first steps onto the sun deck. In the last few months moving here to her new home, she never got the chance to enjoy the sun deck. It probably was the only good thing that came from the house’s renovation. It was the perfect time to finally enjoy it without it being occupied as the moon was full out tonight and the sky was clear. She could see most of the consolation, including her favorite one by Orion's belt. The light from the moon was so bright that it casted her shadow. She didn’t notice as a second shadow was casted right next to her. Fleeing from her before it was discovered.

Taking a deep breath in, Lydia stood as she felt the cool, late September air and small breeze relaxing her. Fall was her favorite season. The metamorphosis of everything from the tree leaves changing from green to orange and brown. Hot and humid becoming chilled. It was a sign of change, a new start. The only change that happened every year was her turning a year older. She’ll be 16 in a couple of weeks and will be celebrating alone again. It was a guarantee at this point in her life. After the last seven birthdays were her alone in her room singing happy birthday to herself. The only company being her doll. She’s thought of running away from these people she was supposed to call family. She had enough money saved up enough to get her by for maybe a year. Money from her father nonchalantly telling her to get lost. She could find a job, maybe become a freelance photographer, and live in a cabin in the middle of the woods. The road was just in front of her. Just a sprint through the tall grass and she would be free, but something was holding her back. 

She thought of her ghost. Since she discovered the attic, her ghostly companion has been there since day one. She never saw him. Her? But she could feel the presence as she took solace in the one space in the entire house as hers. Once she left, she would have no one. There would be no one tugging on her hair during movie nights or when she did her homework. No one to speak to and responding back with knocks on the walls. No one to pet her hair as she cried about her father once again not caring that she was being harassed at school. She doesn’t want to be lonely anymore.

Tears welled up and fell from her eyes as she sobbed quietly, hugging herself. She was strange and unusual. She enjoyed her title of macabre and unconventional. But sometimes she loathed it as well. These contradictions of her feelings made her remember all the terrible nicknames she's been called. _The freak, the black sheep, an annoyance._ All those horrible words took refuge in her thoughts and clawed into her self being, believing they were true. Her cries were suddenly interrupted as a melody came from nowhere. She didn’t know where it came from, but she was grateful the melancholic sound had stupefied her out of her quiet misery. 

Lydia could hear a song starting to play in her head made of an accordion, violins, and bells. The sorrowful song had taken form in her mind's eye of her performing a simple ballet. She enjoyed dancing but only when she was by herself. She was sick of people telling her that her dancing made her look more creepy than she already was. But tonight was perfect. No one around but the moon, the fireflies, and the stars. The moon became her spotlight as she closed her eyes. Stretching her arms to hold onto the embrace of no one. She slowly swayed herself as her song began. She spun herself as her imagined partner gently twirled her. At this moment, she didn’t care that her school life had started to become difficult because of the bullies and none of her classmates wanted to do anything with her. She didn’t care that her home life was still the same; being invisible and the afterthought. 

[ Lydia's waltz ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNAc6VV7k-g)

As Lydia danced to her heart's content, Betelgeuse watched as he leaned against the house. Folding his arms across his chest, he juiced a lit cigarette into his mouth. His eyes settled to the dancing form of the girl he had been watching for the last three months. Little Lydia. Since her discovery of the attic and the handbook, she came up everyday and he got to take in such a pretty sight. Eyeing her up and down as he imagined their life together. Started as companions and reached the climax as full blown lovers. He became charmed as his babe danced so pretty. The moonlight highlighted her pale features and raven hair. Making her look like she was glowing. Such a beauty she is.

Such beauty reminded him of memories of his childhood where he hid below window sills and stole food as it was cooling. He would stuff himself of a family’s bread and jam as he overheard mothers tell their children of the dangers of the fae. How their beauty would enchant and trick unsuspecting people into the unknown and never returned. If he was still human and alive, he would've allowed himself to fall into the abyss. As long as she was the one to claim his dark soul. His mind turned sinister as he watched the dancing girl. If he was a fae, he would keep her to himself forever. Dancing for him and holding her tight as they spun around together. Her body clinging to his as he would pin her with his magic. Binding her soul to his, claiming her for all eternity. He was so much more powerful than any fae. More powerful than any other supernatural being he ever came across.

He could do it. Take her away. Far, far away. He saw her cry one too many times. Her family was shit and her school mates were shit. This whole town was shit to her. The best he could do for her was watch her. Be her dark guardian. Punishing the cockroaches who dared made her cry. Her father and a blonde bitch from that school of hers were the top of his list. He enjoyed it when he enacted little justices on her behalf. Ants in food, beetles scuttling in hair, pens turning into snakes, a broken bone or two. For now he was content spending time together and teasing her even if she couldn’t see or hear him. He’ll figure out one day to manifest himself before death tries to claim her. Pushing himself off the house, throwing the cancer stick away, Betelgeuse made his way to his little fae. The combat boots made no sounds against the wood as he approached Lydia while she was still dancing in her own world. Reaching for the tiny hand he adored, he grasped it. 

The sudden chill of her hand made Lydia gasp from surprise, opening her eyes and finding no one there. Her ghost. The chill made her hand feel like ice. Colder than the September night. But that didn't bother her. She knew her ghost was always watching her. Like a guardian angel almost. Smiling gently, she stretched her arms wider, “Would you like to dance?” 

Betelgeuse’s smirk grew into a boyish, toothy grin, “Aww, babe. You make this dead guy want to do more than dance with you. But as a gentleman, I'd be honored to be your dance partner.” Betelgeuse held onto her hand as he pushed himself closer to her. He looked down at her adoringly and spoke softly as someone of his caliber could, “One day baby, we’ll dance the night away. You and me against this crazy world.” Lydia couldn’t hear his proclamation, but it was fine. She could take the company of the undead over the living any day or night. 

At this moment, two lonely souls found solace in each other. As the two outcasts danced to a melody of nothing, the stars above twinkled brighter.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I commissioned industrialplant from tumblr to make this beautiful piece. Please go support her art. The music used is from the Madoka Rebellion movie called Not Yet. Its the end scene where Homura is dancing after she beat Kyubey. The music made me so emotional. Honestly the song inspired me to write. Please let me know what you all think.


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